The purpose of the study was to evaluate if a novel approach to the didactic component of Behavior Skills Training (BST) would have an effect on parent treatment integrity responding to child problem behavior. During baseline, the researcher observed parent responses to child problem behavior across brief intervals. Additionally, a foundational ABA concepts didactic session took place with the researcher. In the second phase, parents participated in didactic learning sessions to learn about functions of behavior, as well as the appropriate function-based responses to their child’s problem behavior outlined in his/her Behavior Intervention Plan. During the BST phase, the researcher modeled function-based responding and/or provided performance feedback to parents on their correct or incorrect responses to child problem behavior. Results showed that the novel approach to the didactic component in BST was effective at increasing parent correct responding to child problem behavior for 2 out of 3 families.

xiv, 131 p. : ill. A print copy of this thesis is available through the UO Libraries. Search the library catalog for the location and call number. / This dissertation study investigated the impact of brief teacher consultation on teachers' implementation fidelity, quality of implementation, and student responsiveness during the Strong Kids social-emotional learning curriculum. Additional outcome measures included teachers' self-efficacy and teachers' perceptions of social validity of the Strong Kids program. Participants included six teachers, three of whom were randomly assigned to the treatment group and three of whom were randomly assigned to the control group. Teachers in the treatment group received brief performance feedback consultation for six out of the twelve Strong Kids lessons; whereas, teachers in the control group did not receive consultation, but instead were given a frequently asked questions sheet that provided them with general information about the curriculum. Results of the study indicated an increase in implementation fidelity for the teachers receiving performance feedback consultation and a decrease in implementation fidelity for the teachers who did not receive performance feedback. The data did not indicate any substantial effects for the consultation group teachers with respect to quality of implementation or student responsiveness. Overall, teachers in both the treatment and control groups had positive attitudes toward social-emotional learning and the curriculum. Both groups of teachers also reported similar negative attitudes regarding the curriculum. For example, both groups of teachers felt that the lessons took too long to implement within a given class period. Implications of this study for future research and practice are discussed. / Committee in charge: Kenneth Merrell, Chairperson, Special Education and Clinical Sciences; Jeffrey Sprague, Member, Special Education and Clinical Sciences; Terry Scott, Member, Special Education and Clinical Sciences; John Seeley, Member, Not from U of 0; Lynn Kahle, Outside Member, Marketing

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Interobserver agreement (IOA) was calculated across three participant dyads for a generalized treatment integrity tool. No dyads achieved 80% agreement during baseline. Task clarification was piloted as an intervention for two of the three dyads. Form agreement produced stabilization in both dyads and improvement in one dyad. Time agreement did not improve but demonstrated marked trends in one dyad.

Behavior Intervention Plans (BIPs) are intended to guide educators' efforts to help struggling students succeed in school by reducing the frequency of problem behavior and teaching appropriate, pro-social responses. The impact of a BIP, however, depends on the degree to which the plan is implemented with fidelity. In practice, there are many factors that prevent teachers and other practitioners from strictly adhering to the BIP including having multiple plans to follow, inexperience with the specified intervention(s), or particularly challenging behaviors in the classroom. The purpose of the study was to identify the factors that contribute to the treatment integrity of BIPs implemented by general educators. To accomplish this goal, we graded plans already developed and implemented using the Behavior Intervention Plan Quality Evaluator, Second edition. The BIP evaluations were then paired with survey responses from the practitioners charged with creating and completing the BIPs. A multiple regression analysis was used to predict treatment integrity (TI) outcomes based on BIP quality, in terms of development and features of the written plan, and the coaching or training received by the primary implementer and plan developer. The purpose of this study was to determine how the qualifications, training, and coaching of the professionals involved in a plan, as well as the development of the plan, and the quality of the BIP influence treatment integrity. Although coaching ended up being an excluded factor and only BIP quality was found to possess some relation to treatment integrity, the study concluded with interesting findings. Training, BIP Quality, and Treatment Integrity were found to possess predictive qualities for student outcomes. A total of 4 school districts in the state of Utah participated in the study and a total of 51 plans were evaluated and 32 survey responses were submitted. Individual BIP practices were assessed, and with more information on the factors that influence treatment integrity, educators will be better prepared to support these factors in their schools and provide better supports and develop higher quality behavior intervention plans as they are implemented with greater integrity.

The purpose of this study, a formative program evaluation, was to provide an overview of treatment integrity rates, attitudes, and assessment methods within a specialized school for children and adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder. The study utilized a partnership model whereby the evaluators worked collaboratively with primary stakeholders (school administrators) to determine areas of focus for the evaluation. The program evaluation was conducted between August 2009 and August 2010, spanning one school year. The evaluation participants were the school's teachers. The evaluation was based on an exploratory case study design and included both quantitative and qualitative data. Quantitative data consisted of direct observations of treatment adherence to behavior plans in classrooms, teacher knowledge of treatment content assessed in quizzes, and observations of teacher engagement with students at recess. Qualitative data consisted of teacher surveys and focus groups. The evaluation yielded an in-depth assessment of treatment integrity within the school; an intervention to define and enhance teacher engagement during recess was also developed and implemented.

Behavior Intervention Plans (BIPs) are intended to guide educators’ efforts to help struggling students succeed in school by reducing the frequency of problem behavior and teaching appropriate, pro-social responses. The impact of a BIP, however, depends on the degree to which the plan is implemented with fidelity. In practice, there are many factors that prevent teachers and other practitioners from strictly adhering to the BIP including having multiple plans to follow, inexperience with the specified intervention(s), or particularly challenging behaviors in the classroom. The purpose of the study was to identify the factors that contribute to the treatment integrity of BIPs implemented by general educators. To accomplish this goal, we graded plans already developed and implemented using the Behavior Intervention Plan Quality Evaluator, Second edition. The BIP evaluations were then paired with survey responses from the practitioners charged with creating and completing the BIPs. A multiple regression analysis was used to predict treatment integrity (TI) outcomes based on BIP quality, in terms of development and features of the written plan, and the coaching or training received by the primary implementer and plan developer. The purpose of this study was to determine how the qualifications, training, and coaching of the professionals involved in a plan, as well as the development of the plan, and the quality of the BIP influence treatment integrity. Although coaching ended up being an excluded factor and only BIP quality was found to possess some relation to treatment integrity, the study concluded with interesting findings. Training, BIP Quality, and Treatment Integrity were found to possess predictive qualities for student outcomes. A total of 4 school districts in the state of Utah participated in the study and a total of 51 plans were evaluated and 32 survey responses were submitted. Individual BIP practices were assessed, and with more information on the factors that influence treatment integrity, educators will be better prepared to support these factors in their schools and provide better supports and develop higher quality behavior intervention plans as they are implemented with greater integrity.

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Measuring procedural fidelity helps behavior analysts assess staff performance and make decisions about a treatment's effectiveness. However, there is limited research comparing different methods of measuring procedural fidelity. Therefore, we systematically replicated a study that examined how procedural fidelity of discrete-trial-instruction sessions varies depending on the measurement system and calculation. We scored videos depicting behavior technicians conducting discrete-trial instruction with a child with autism and did not permit data collectors to pause, rewind, or fast-forward to simulate a live session. Specifically, we compared individual-component and global fidelity from the occurrence/nonoccurrence method and all-or-nothing by component method. Like previous research has demonstrated, our findings indicated that global values were likely to mask component errors, whereas the all-or-nothing by component method was less likely to do so. When data collected in the current study was compared to those in previous research, interobserver agreement was high for both occurrence/nonoccurrence and all-or-nothing by component methods. Overall, the procedural-fidelity values obtained from each study differed minimally. These results suggest that both measurement methods yield consistent results whether derived from recorded sessions with the ability to pause, rewind, and fast-forward or simulated live sessions. Differences that were obtained are discussed in detail with particular emphasis on connecting our findings to the utility of procedural-fidelity assessment in practice.

The purpose of this exploratory study was to examine the extent to which pretreatment characteristics influence therapist treatment adherence by using data sampled from a randomized effectiveness trial and an efficacy study. Research suggests that youth-, family-, and therapist-level pretreatment characteristics influence therapist behavior; however, this area is underdeveloped as most studies have focused on externalizing problem areas, family-based approaches, and the use of parent or therapist report to assess for therapist adherence. To date, no research has examined this question with anxiety as the target problem, individual-focused CBT, and with observational therapist adherence data. An observational coding measure, Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy Adherence Scale for Youth Anxiety, was used to assess therapist adherence to CBT for youth anxiety. Hierarchical linear model analyses were conducted to estimate changes in therapist adherence over time, based on youth-, family-, and therapist-level pretreatment characteristic predictors. Results suggest that youth ethnicity/race, therapist openness to evidence-based practices, therapist theoretical orientation, and therapist age influence the process of therapy: in this case, therapist adherence. The current study provides essential evidence about potentially important predictors of therapist adherence for CBT youth anxiety and points to important clinical and treatment adoption implications.